Tablet bonanza from Amazon in 2012: two (or four?) new models rumored

While, about a year ago, it was hard to conceive that anyone could threaten iPad’s dominance over the tablet market anytime soon, we are now faced with what could be called the “Amazon offensive”.

The Kindle Fire has been by far the most surprising gadget of 2011, and is currently the second most popular tablet in the world, closing in on iPad’s leading spot as we speak. However, if you thought that Amazon would rest on their laurels and live off the Kindle Fire’s success for as long as possible, you thought wrong. Jeff Bezos’ company is looking set to build upon its hit and come up with not one, but several cool tablets in 2012.

More precisely, according to Digitimes’ unnamed sources, Amazon could launch anywhere from two to four tablets in the coming months depending on a couple of aspects.

First off, there will most definitely be a 10.1-inch Amazon slate, likely to be priced at around $249-$299. The 10-incher might begin shipping as soon as July, and is clearly intended as an honest to God “iPad killer”.

Of course, for that kind of money, you shouldn’t expect a lot of power under the gadget’s hood, but we are talking about Amazon after all, so I think that a dual-core processor is not entirely out of the question. As my colleague Bogdan reported not long ago, the Amazon 10.1-inch slate will probably be built by Foxconn, which is another thing that makes us think that it could be a hit.

Aside from the 10-incher, Amazon will most definitely follow the already beaten path to success, meaning that a Kindle Fire successor is not only likely, but very probable. However, according to new reports, Amazon might in fact come with two 7-inchers, one priced at around 199 bucks and set to be a rehashed Fire version and one that should cost no more than $169, targeted towards entry-level (like in rock bottom level) gadget lovers.

Finally, an 8.9-inch tablet could also be released by Amazon in the near future, but this is the part of the report where things get improbable, to say the least. According to rumors, this particular model might sport a full HD screen with 1920 x 1200 resolution and feature pretty much all the things that make a high-end device right now.

However, that kind of gadget couldn’t possibly be made available for a very low price, which makes manufacturers doubt the success of the supposed device. Also, it has to be said that this would be a gamble for Amazon, as there aren’t many 8.9-inch tablets on the market right now, and there’s no way to know how the public would react to such a strangely sized gizmo.

Let’s wrap up today’s rumor mill by saying what I usually like to say when reporting on something unconfirmed from official sources. Patience is a virtue and no one died by simply waiting, so stay tuned on our website and we will bring you all the official information you need to know, as soon as it’s released.